L.D. Bell High School
Project Stats
- Location
Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD
Hurst, Texas
- Size
468,000 SF
- Market
- Expertise
A Tale of Two Schools
When Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District, which serves 23,000 students, began the process of replacing its long-standing high schools, they turned to Corgan to design two new campuses reflecting the community’s history and inspiring their students to succeed.
Opening in 1957, L.D. Bell High School was the first high school in the district and now has an enrollment of 2,500 pupils. The campus, which crosses Hurst and Bedford city lines, is the first of the two schools to be designed. The project will be completed in multiple phases, allowing the school to remain in operation throughout the three years of construction.
During the visioning and planning process, L.D. Bell High School stakeholders called on Corgan to deliver vibrant, safe, and updated campuses eliminating learning barriers and serving the district’s dynamic academic and extracurricular culture. Corgan provided two complementary plans with equal amenities — the other for Trinity High School — each preserving the school’s individual identities.
An Environment to Thrive
Corgan’s design for the new 468,000-square-foot campus focuses on student wellness within elevated spaces. The campus encompasses a three-story building with modernized classrooms and administration offices; a secure and engaging courtyard; a new library-media center with adaptable learning environments; and a 2,860-seat competition gymnasium, with an adjoining dance studio and broadcast-recording studio.
The school also boasts a 975-seat performance hall with lobby, full orchestra space, a black box theater, scene shop, and upgraded acoustics; and a multipurpose student center complete with career center, concessions, a modern kitchen, and a variety of collaborative and focus areas.
Ample natural light from triple-height windows and a natural wood toned color palette open circulation spaces to enhance student comfort and create a sense of space. Plentiful trees and landscaping provide a sophisticated and inviting entrance to the main building. The new campus will also be equipped with a paved band practice area, a track and field long jump pit, two grass practice fields, and additional parking lots with connecting sidewalks.
Social Spaces to Engage Learners
The centrally located student union is meant to be a favorite campus gathering place. Brightly decorated with colorful, school-themed graphics, and renewed Blue Raider mascot imagery, the learning hub provides access to the updated library-media center and kitchen. Adaptable and relaxed environments for group study, dining, teaching, or socializing, are intermingled with areas promoting individual focus.
The student center leads to a central courtyard, designed to unify the campus and provide another place to study or relax. The courtyard features a louvered patio cover, plentiful tables and chairs, paved paths, and green spaces, inviting students to gather, revive, or study outdoors.
Inspiring School Spirit and Respecting Tradition
Corgan worked with district stakeholders to preserve a sense of history and tradition by including legacy items in the final design - a bell and tower donated in 1971 by a student, a bust of school founder L.D. Bell, the original library card catalog, and stained glass. Trophies and awards will be more prominently displayed. Some brick and wood from the current buildings will also be commemorated at the new campus.
The new L.D. Bell High School provides much-needed campus updates to security and accessibility while meeting the current and future curriculum and technology needs of students, teachers, and faculty. The renewed campus will serve as a model for secondary schools for many decades.
